Surf and turf is an Aussie favorite, says Ryan Clift, the chef of one of Singapore’s hippest restaurants, the Tippling Club.

But Mr. Clift, who was born in the U.K. and grew up in Australia, wanted to create more than just a “grilled piece of steak and prawn.”

So he challenged himself: For his version of surf and turf, he would refrain from using the two most popular ingredients in any chef’s arsenal — salt and pepper.

Instead, Mr. Clift says the dish gets its flavor from umami, which is recognized as the “fifth taste” in cooking. For those unfamiliar with the term, it is fast becoming a regular vocabulary in the food world. In addition to the four main tastes — salty, sweet, sour and bitter — umami is loosely defined as the taste of protein. Think about the meaty flavors in chicken bouillon, fish sauce or Parmesan cheese.

Here, Mr. Clift shares his secret to infusing the umami in his signature surf-and-turf dish, which he calls, appropriately, “Surf ‘n’ Turf.”

Kombu powder: This powder, made from the dehydrated seaweed, or kombu, registers high on the umami scale and is often used as a salt substitute. Used to season the beef and lobster, Mr. Clift claims it makes the beef taste meatier, and intensifies the natural flavors of the lobster.

Beef cheek: “Beef cheek is actually a secondary cut of meat,” says Mr. Clift. “It’s full of sinews and can be a bit chewy.” To counter this, he cooks the beef cheek sous-vide – a process in which the meat is placed in a vacuum-sealed bag and poached at a low temperature, 72° Celsius – for 48 hours. The gentle cooking method renders the meat so tender it can be severed with a spoon.

Lobster tail: A fanatic for fresh seafood, Mr. Clift insists on keeping the lobster alive until an order is placed. The tail is quickly blanched in hot water so the meat separates, and the flesh is then scooped out and cooked sous-vide in a vacuum-packed bag for just five minutes in 60° Celsius water. “It’s almost like sashimi in its tenderness, but everything is cooked,” he says.

Carrot and dashi purée: Carrots are gently cooked in a pan and combined with a potent dashi — a stock made from bonito flakes (dried fish flakes) and kombu — before being blended at high speed to make an intense-flavored sauce. It has a smoky aftertaste, that is curiously similar to that of a grilled piece of tuna. To thicken the sauce so that it coats the tongue for longer-lasting flavor, Mr. Clift adds a modified starch. “It feels like you’re being hugged by someone when you eat this,” he says.

Confit potato: Don’t overlook the single cube of potato on your plate. This particular tuber, called the Cecile, is an heirloom variety that has been grown recently in Victoria in Australia. The potato itself has a waxy texture, pink skin and deeply yellow flesh. “When cooked, it has the most buttery flavor on its own,” says Mr. Clift.